“I think stubborn runs in your family,” he said, standing back up. “You could maybe just admit it was your fault.”
She looked outraged. “I can give you my insurance information.”
“You could just apologize.” Like she would never admit that before she had realized it was him in that dark bathroom, she had been just as much into the kiss as he had back in high school.
“Sorry. Like I said, it was an accident. I’ll pay for the damage, seriously.”
Rick studied Sloane, who looked like she had not been enjoying her evening. “You don’t have to do that. I’m just going to fix it myself. I don’t trust anyone else to touch it.”
She was biting her lip and wrinkling her nose simultaneously. “Well, at least let me do something.”
God if she only knew what he wanted. Watching her, nothing had changed. He still felt attracted to Sloane. She was wearing a tank top that showed off her tits in a way that made his mouth water. He wanted to tug down that neckline and suck the swell of her soft skin into his mouth while she moaned in his ear. Getting hard just thinking about it, he debated his next move. “You are divorced, right?”
“Yes.” She looked bewildered by the question. “Why?”
“So that I don’t have to feel like an asshole with my request.”
“What request?” Sloane ran her fingers through her hair and looked at him with total suspicion.
“That you admit you liked that bathroom kiss we shared.”
Her jaw dropped. “That’s your request? That was twelve years ago! What difference does it make?”
Rick smiled at her. The smile he knew made women swoon.
That moment, when Sloane had been horrified to see she had been kissing him and loudly protested to everyone that she had not enjoyed it, had been a social turning point for him. He had, after the initial humiliation, gotten status with the guys as having the balls to do what he had done. Sneaking in a window and going for it when Sloane thought he was Nick. It was a bold move. One he had not regretted.
He’d spend the years immediately after studying girls and women and gauging their responses to other, more attractive guys. Then when he had started to pick up some height and muscle, he’d made it his life’s mission to make women feel fantastic. For a brief
moment in the store giving them a compliment, or all night long in his bed, depending on the woman. It was something of a personal calling.
Make the ladies happy.
But right now he just wanted Sloane to give him something.
“You told everyone at that party you would rather die than kiss me. But you were just as into it as I was, I know that for a fact. I just want you to admit it.” He’d known it then. She had sighed and rubbed on him and had made sounds that indicated she was shocked by how good it all felt. He may have been inexperienced but he had read enthusiasm, no question about it.
Sloane glanced away, then said, “Look. If you really want to go there, looking back now, obviously I’m very sorry I was such a bitch about it. I just freaked out because I didn’t want Nick to think I was intentionally cheating on him. I didn’t mean to embarrass you and I feel really bad about that.”
Fair enough. “I get that you were in a tough spot. I understood then and I do now. But that’s not the point. Did you like it or not?”
“I thought you were Nick, so of course I enjoyed it.”
She was still dancing around the subject. “So, you never would have kissed me?” He was pushing too much, he knew it.
“No. You were like my little brother.”
“Not in my eyes. I enjoyed it.” It was the truth but he also knew it would push her buttons. “And I owe you a thank you because you gave me the confidence to start dating.”
She snorted. “I hear you date a lot.”
Rick raised an eyebrow. Was Sloane jealous? He hoped so. “I’m very friendly.”
“Well, you’re welcome then.” Though she looked more put out than pleased. “What were you doing in that bathroom anyway?”
“After you turned me away at the front door because I wasn’t cool enough to be at your party, I climbed in the bathroom window.” It had been a moment of total defiance on his part. He had figured he could sneak in and Sloane would never see him. The goal had been to take a crack at the Jack Daniels her dad had stashed in the basement bar and to creep on Sloane. He could fully admit that. He’d had a first class crush on her. It wasn’t a foolproof plan but hell, he’d been fifteen and lacking in common sense.
“I didn’t say you weren’t cool enough to be at my party. I just said it was seniors only.”